Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter April 2019

APRIL-2019 PRESERVATION EDUCATION RESEARCH INSPIRE Dear Member: We have a lecture change for April. Dr. Steven Derfler, a Time Sifters Board member, is going to present “Petra: The Rose-Red City as Old as Time”. Please join us on April 17 for this exciting presentation. Next seasons’ line up of Speakers is coming together really nicely. We have Lindsey Morrison who will tell us about the Civil War in Florida, in particular the “Cow Cavalry”; Dr. Keith Ashley will talk about his work at “the Spanish Mission Santa Cruz de Guadalquini on Black Hammock Island” and Dr. Thomas Pluckhahn will tell us about his work on “the Kolomoki Mounds” in Georgia. Our In-Depth Series continues with Dr. Edward Gonzalez-Tennant presenting “Neanderthals and the Early Humans”. If you have any topics or subjects you would like to hear about. We are always open for compliments and suggestions. Thank you for being a member of Time Sifters. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] April 17, 6:00 PM Selby Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota Petra: The Rose-Red City as Old as Time Dr. Steven Derfler, Executive Director, Educational Resources As one travels south from Amman, However their capital would be found Jordan into the fringe of the Arabian on the eastern extremity, near the Desert, the land of Edom, one begins Wadi Rum and Wadi Mousa, at Petra, to encounter the world of the in Edom. Extending as far as the eye Nabatean Arabs. Long considered to can see, this is a jumbled landscape of be the controllers of the overland brilliant-hued sandstones that became Spice Routes from the Indian isolated by geologic time and space. It Subcontinent to the Mediterranean is the invisibility of Petra that guarded Sea, the Nabateans were an it and ensured its prosperity. enigmatic people.

Notes from a Time Sifter By Evelyn Mangie, Time Sifters Board Member The Balkans: Hotbed of Cultures, Languages, and Religions Illyria forums Dalmatia, and The Balkans have been a troubled area since the Neolithic period. Epirus. That Today, it comprises ten separate ended the countries in an area smaller than Illyrian attempt the state of Texas. It is a hotbed of to unify Balkan cultures, languages, and religions tribes, and, that have engaged in wars for although Illyria thousands of years. Balkan countries produced have always been fiercely inde- strong leaders pendent and often tried to unite for Rome such but seldom could. The ancient as Diocletian Kingdom of Illyria was one that Nations Online Project (284-305 CE) tried. Part of many Indo-European migrants father of Alexander the Great, and Constantine (324-337), they to the area, the Illyrian tribes first was able to reverse the aggression were leaders of Rome, not Illyria. appear in the western Balkans and pushed the Illyrians back to After the western Roman Empire about 1000 BCE. No one knows the shores of the Adriatic. A hundred fell in 476 CE, the invading tribes what they called themselves. The years later, Illyrian King Agron (250- from the east (Huns, Goths, etc.) Greeks refer to them as Illyrioi 231 BCE) unites several tribes and passed through the Balkans leaving which the Romans Latinized to spread his kingdom along the them with conflicts, fluctuating Illyricii, although originally, that Adriatic coast from the northern borders, and little defense against was a name that included several head of the sea south to Greece the Byzantines, Christian Crusaders, other area tribes. Archaeologists (Illyria forums). King Agron died and Ottomans. have excavated several Illyrian before his son reached maturity The recent discovery of the ancient sites and found building founda- so Agron’s widow, Illyrian city of Bassania in what is tions such as the megaron that appears to have been an official Queen Teuta www.inquisitr.com residence at the ancient city of became regent (231- Rhizon in what is now Montenegro 227). She was (Science in Poland 8/17/16). aggressive and Evidence like this indicates Greek increased the size of influence, but so far, few Illyrian her navy to extend inscriptions and no Illyrian literature trade across the have been found. However, we Adriatic which is meet Illyrians often through Greek where she encoun- and Roman literature (Hecataus, tered opposition Herodotus, Livy, Appian, Cassius, from the growing Polybius). From these, we find power of the Roman that by 500 BCE, the Illyrians had Republic. The Romans sent now Albania brings new understanding developed self-governing communities diplomats to Illyria, but Teuta of the Kingdom of Illyria. The discovery who chose their leaders and elected a murdered one of them. That began a was made by Polish archaeologists council of elders. Some wax tablets series of wars with Rome. Teuta who took a second look at what from the ancient city of Dyrrachium surrendered, and Illyria became appeared to be natural rocks but hint at equality for women and a Roman vassal state. Nevertheless, were, in fact, severely eroded friezes excavated near the modern the Illyrian kings never stopped ten-foot-thick ashlar walls that Slovenian city of Ljubljana show trying to regain their independence, encircled a large city covering battles, sports, and ritual activities. and in 220 BCE, the Illyrians approximately fifty acres. That is They had rich deposits of metals, broke their treaty. That triggered the roughly three times larger than any and their active commerce is evident 2nd Illyrian war that was successful other Illyrian city yet discovered. A from the remains of the Illyrian in forcing the Illyrians to, again, massive gateway flanked by two trading post discovered at the bow to Roman hegemony. But in bastions indicates that Bassania border of what is now Croatia and 169 BCE, Illyrian King Gentius was a well-defended, important urban Bosnia-Herzegovina (Science Daily, attempted to ally with Macedonia center with a large population. The 12/10/08). so, in one last war, the Romans artifacts discovered there are from The Illyrians were able to conquer removed Gentius, imprisoned the fourth to the first century BCE, some parts of the growing kingdom of him in Rome (Albanopedia) and the time of Illyrian resistance Macedonia ca. 383 BCE, but King made Illyria a Roman colony. against Macedonia and Rome Philip of Macedonia (359-336), the The Romans eventually lost their (Science in Poland, 11/6/18). Initial patience with the Illyrians in studies show that the city remained 9 CE, when Emperor Tiberius divided occupied longer than earlier believed. the Illyrian colony among the Notes continued on page 3 ... Balkan provinces of Macedonia,

Notes continued from page 2 ... 6th century CE. (Oriental Review). Continued studies here should These are more likely the ancestors of give us a better understanding of the Albanians, yet Albanians the strength and endurance of the honor the memory of Illyria by Illyrians. putting the likeness of King Gentius on paper money and Queen Teuta on Although the Kingdom of Illyria coins and stamps (wikicommons). was Romanized and virtually Hopefully, new information will eliminated by Tiberius, modern allow archaeologists and other Albanians claim to be descendants of experts to better understand the Illyrians. The name, Illyria, history of this important kingdom disappeared from history when and the history of the Balkans. the Slavic migrants arrived in the News & Events Thursday, April 18 7:00 - 8:00 A Prehistoric Cemetery In the Gulf of Mexico Speaker: Ryan M. Duggins, Ph.D., Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research Weedon Island Preserve,1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, 33702 Saturday, April 20 10:00 - Noon Heritage Monitoring Scouts Training Weedon Island Preserve, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg, 33702 Origins of Words and Phrases … By Smitty Battle of the Nile When reading historical stories, you to the stern. When at sea and the salt water which sapped all the often come across words and phrases devil had to be caulked, the sailor sat moisture out of the wood, making the that cause you to wonder about their in a boson’s chair over the side to do ship extremely flammable. Fire was origins. While reading about the so. He was suspended between the the biggest danger during a battle. Not British Navy in the 1700’s, the time of devil and the sea, a very precarious only would your enemy try to de-mast the great sailing ships and when position, especially when the ship was you but also set you on fire. If a fire England ruled the waves, you often underway. broke out and it could not be run across the phrase \"Caught A different version … the English contained, the sailors on lower gun between the devil and the deep Navy’s main battle ships had a decks very seldom survived. They were blue sea”. minimum of two decks of guns and \"Caught between the devil (fire) and There are at least two versions of the some had three or four! Ships of this the deep blue sea”. origin of this phrase. One is period were all made of wood with the Wikipedia’s and the other is a more seams between the planks of the deck romantic one. You decide which fits. and hull filled with rope caulking Wikipedia’s version … the \"devil\" was treated with tar to help with the a name for the longest seam of a sealing of the joints. The wood was wooden ship, which ran from the bow constantly exposed to the sun and Officers: Board of Directors Copyright © 2019 Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, President Time SiftersArchaeologySociety,Inc., Sherry Svekis, Vice President Directors: Steven Derfler All rights reserved. vacant, Secretary Robert Bopp Evelyn Mangie We send newsletters to people Laura Harrison, Treasurer Dorothy Cascio Sharon McConnell who have attended or expressed Karen Jensen, Membership Glenn Cooper interestin our lecturesand given us their email address.

Membership Speakers & Events Calendar Lifetime: $350 Unless noted, all will be held at 6:00 PM Individual: $25 Selby Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota 34236 Family: $35 Student: $10 April 17 Petra: The Rose-Red City as Old as Time Pay online at: Dr. Steven Derfler WWW.TimeSifters.org Or mail checks to: May 15 Time Sifters, Inc. Manasota Key Offshore Site PO Box 5283 Dr. Ryan M. Duggins Sarasota, FL. 34277 September 18 The New Season Starts To Be Announced Time Sifters Archaeology Society P. O. Box 5283, Sarasota, FL 34277